Miseria Cantare
by Megan Potassium
Summary: Kurt never thought he would be in this position- sitting on the forest floor covered in dirt and blood. But he belonged there. He was a freak. A monster. And he would just have to accept it. Werewolf!Kurt AU
1. Preface

Preface

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Kurt never thought he would be in this position - sitting on the forest floor, covered in dirt and blood. He never dreamed that a harmless walk could turn his life into such a complete jumbled mess that he didn't even know who he was anymore. And he most certainly would have never believed that he could feel so alone.

_Alone._ The word echoed in his ears again as another tear rolled down his cheek. A cool breeze shook the branches of the surrounding trees and Kurt pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. The action had nothing to do with the cold- he didn't get cold anymore- it was more to hold himself together and to try and stop the hollow aching in his heart. He would never see his friends or his Dad again. How could he? He was a freak. A monster. He didn't belong in a garage helping his dad or in a choir room with his friends; he belonged in a horror movie.

Kurt ignored the sound of his name being called by the police and his classmates. They wouldn't find him, and if they did he would be gone before he was seen. Kurt wished they would stop looking for him; all he wanted to do was curl up on the forest floor and not have to worry about evading search parties.

Kurt tensed as a new sound joined the others; an all too familiar _thud thud-thud thud_ of paws hitting the ground, growing louder as each second passed.

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	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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"Hello, earth to Kurt, anyone in there?"

"Hmm?" Kurt hummed, snapping out of his trance to see Mercedes waving her hand in front of his face. "Sorry," he said, swatting her hand away and rubbing his eyes, "what did you say?"

Mercedes gave her friend a once over, studying Kurt with a critical eye. Meanwhile Kurt just stared at Mercedes, waiting for her to repeat her question. After appraising Kurt for several seconds, Mercedes met his tired gaze and tsked. "Damn, boy. You're a mess."

Kurt stared at the ceiling for a brief moment before looking back at the small group he was with. It was lunch time and Kurt was sitting at a table with Mercedes, Tina, and Artie. He didn't quite remember how he got to the cafeteria, all day he had moving in a daze, not quite registering anything he said or did. It was true, Kurt did look less than his best today; his usually perfect hair was untidy, sprawled all over his forehead; and his clothes were simple- jeans, shirt, and a scarf. Kurt hasn't been acting like himself all week; and that had his friends worried.

"I didn't sleep well last night." He muttered, stifling a fake yawn to try to prove his point. "My neighbour's dog wouldn't shut up." Kurt wasn't lying about not sleeping, but last night had been quiet, almost eerily so.

"You mean that little dog that looks like mop?" Tina asked, her eyebrows pushing together.

Kurt chuckled a little, despite his mood, "Yes that would be the one."

Mercedes snorted, "Well if it keeps you up again tonight, drop kick the little mop. You were on the football team; I bet you could send that thing flying."

Tina and Artie laughed loudly while Kurt just smiled and looked up as the bell rang. Each student collected their belongings and broke off in pairs; Artie and Tina going one way and Kurt and Mercedes going the other. Kurt avoided the great mass of bodies trying to get out of the cafeteria, waiting a little to the side with his friend. Mercedes looked at all the heads, and then sighed angrily.

"Oh hell, we are never going to get out of here."

She grabbed Kurt's arm, linked it with her own, and then started ploughing her way through the kids. Kurt tried to apologize to the students that were getting pushed aside by Mercedes, but she was pulling him along pretty quickly. Within seconds they were out the doors and walking through the hallway, arm in arm.

"Someone is a little pushy today," Kurt teased, looking at Mercedes.

"And someone is a liar."

Her comeback brought Kurt up short. "I don't know what you mean." He said slowly, looking straight ahead.

Mercedes rolled her eyes. "See, and now you are lying about lying." She stopped abruptly and pulled Kurt into the bathroom. Mercedes stood in front of the door, blocking Kurt's only exit. Mercedes wasn't one to let things go easily and she wouldn't let Kurt out of the bathroom until he told her what was wrong. "Kurt, what the hell is up with you? You've been acting like this all week and it's kind of scaring me." She stared her friend down, watching as he looked at his shoes. "You can lie to everyone else and say a dog kept you up but you can't lie to me. It goes deeper than that, Kurt. This has more to it than lack of sleep."

Kurt frowned. Mercedes was right, he had been acting differently the past week, but he had a reason. He looked up at his friend. Her face was expectant, waiting for an explanation. Kurt sighed, "You're right, and I'm sorry." Mercedes smiled a little at his confession, but waited for the rest. Kurt looked up at the ceiling, noticing the stains and clumps of dried paper towel stuck the surface. He kept his eyes locked on the dirty tiles and spoke without meeting Mercedes' gaze, "My mom died ten years ago today."

The expecting look completely fell off Mercedes' face, leaving only shock. It took her a moment to register what Kurt had said, running over it again in her mind. "Oh, honey," she sighed, stepping forward to wrap Kurt in her arms. It took him a moment, but he returned the hug. "I'm so sorry."

Kurt jaw clenched. He hated it when people apologized for his mother's death. It wasn't their fault, so why were they apologizing? Kurt knew Mercedes was only trying to comfort him, so he let it go, not wanting to spoil the moment.

Mercedes pulled away, looking at Kurt, making sure he was alright. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly, ready to be in full support mode for her friend if he needed it.

Kurt smiled sadly at his friend, "you know what, I actually think I'm going to go home," That was another lie. Kurt had no intention of going home; his dad was scary focused on fixing cars as to distract from the memories. Kurt knew where he wanted to go, it was peaceful place, a place he hadn't been too in a long time, and with every second passing, the desire to be there grew. "I'll talk to you later," he said quickly, wanted to be away from crowded hallways as soon as possible.

"Alright," Mercedes smiled, "I will tell Mr. Schue you were feeling sick,"

Kurt chuckled, "now who's the liar?" he asked as he ducked out of the way of Mercedes attempt to smack his shoulder. He walked forward and hugged Mercedes again, "thank you," he whispered, before he let her go and walked out of the bathroom.

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"_No I'm not lookin' for answers, but dear God, why did you choose her?" _

"Argh" Kurt sighed angrily as he turned off the radio. Even the media was against him today. Kurt turned onto the dirt road and drove for several minutes in silence, his thoughts blank. The only thing on his mind was his destination. Finally he arrived at the end of the dirt road, the trail clearly marked. Kurt hadn't been here for ten years, yet this was the most colourful and detailed memory he had. He couldn't bring himself to ask his dad to take him here, whenever this day came around Burt focused all of his energy into cars, nothing else. He would work in the garage from six in the morning till ten at night, not pausing for anything. Kurt had to regularly bring him meals, but would leave quickly, not being able to handle his dad's intensity. Kurt had a different method for coping. Kurt remembered his mother where as his dad tried to forget. No, not forget, Kurt decided, repress. His dad repressed the memories of his mother, and Kurt let the memories take over his mind.

Kurt turned off the car and stepped out into the sun, liking the way his skin was immediately warmed. He left his jacket in the car, not having any need for it. He shut the door and walked through the little arc two trees made, marking the entrance to the hiking trails. Occasionally he would pass other people- two of them being a mother and her son- but other than that, it was just Kurt and the forest.

For almost twenty minutes Kurt walked in silence, the only sounds being the birds. After what seemed like forever, he found what he was looking for- a tree that was larger than the rest with many thick branches. Kurt remembered climbing this tree, his mother standing underneath the branches ready to catch him if he fell. He remembered how his mother had asked him if he wanted to go exploring when he got down, and how he agreed, grabbing his mother's hand and charging forward.

Kurt walked past the tree and followed his memory, remembering the fallen logs and misshaped boulders. He remembered how his mother had offered to help him over the obstacles, and his refusal, wanting to be big and climb over the trees himself. The one thing Kurt forgot was just how far he and his mother travelled into the forest that day. But Kurt ignored his lapse in memory and continued walking.

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After about two hours, Kurt finally heard the sound of a river in the distance. The sound was so familiar that he almost fell to his knees. But instead he picked up the pace and rushed forward, eager to get to the river. He saw it then, the small break in the trees only thirty steps ahead, he half jogged toward it, moving the branches in his path out of his way. He stopped at the break, looking at the river in front of him. It was just how he remembered it, completely unchanged by time. The only thing missing was his mother's soft voice asking him if he thought it was beautiful. Kurt may have been a little kid when he was first here, but there was no doubt that he was able to appreciate the sheer beauty of the swirling river, the little patch of grass along the side with wildflowers growing. He moved slowly, half afraid he would somehow ruin the perfection of the scene if he moved to fast.

Kurt sat on the patch of grass, just watching the patterns in the flowing water. After a moment, he took off his scarf and held it in his hands. He played with the fringe for a few seconds before he took it and placed it in the river, watching as the water fought for the royal blue scarf.

Blue had been her favourite color.

Soon the scarf disappeared completely and Kurt just sat there, no longer following his memory. He didn't want to. Because sitting here with his mother had been the last time he had seen her before she was attacked. They never found her body, yet they were able to find Kurt, curled in a ball against a tree. Kurt still didn't know what killed his mother; all he knew was that it was an animal, and that it had left him alive. He was sure it was in his memory somewhere, but it wouldn't make a difference if he knew it was bear or a mountain lion.

Kurt knew it was stupid to come here. That it was dangerous. But just sitting by the river made him feel connected to his mother, more than looking at old pictures or sitting by her dresser. Right now, Kurt was more at peace than he had been in a long time. He leaned back and rested his head on the soft grass, watching the clouds drift across the sky , feeling the warmth of the sun on his skin, hearing nothing more than the river and the birds, letting the memories of his mother take over his mind.

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	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Kurt was sitting at the river, just enjoying the peace of mind it brought. He had lost track of how long he had been there, but the sun still shone bright in the sky and the birds still sang their songs. He supposed he should go home soon, his dad would need dinner and he probably had homework, but he didn't want to leave just yet. Kurt slowly stood up, trying to savour the moment. He took one last look at the river before turning around and freezing on the spot.

He wasn't alone.

Two figures materialized out of the trees, one was a tall woman, the other a small boy. Kurt watched as the two came further into the clearing, both in awe of its natural beauty.

"Look at the river Kurt, isn't it beautiful?" The woman asked the boy as she grabbed his hand to lead him closer to the river.

"Mom," Kurt breathed, staring at the woman. The woman didn't acknowledge his presence, nor did the boy. Kurt studied the child closer and felt a jolt of shock when he realized that _he_ was the boy.

"It's really pretty, Mommy." Little Kurt said, letting go of his mom's hand and walking forward. Kurt watched himself walk for a second before turning back to look at his mother. She was watching Little Kurt with so much adoration that Kurt's heart started to ache in his chest.

"Mom," he said a little louder, trying to get her attention. Kurt walked forward and stood right in front of his mother. "Mom, look at me, please."

His mother's face changed from love to worry in an instant as she ran right through Kurt to get to Little Kurt. Kurt gasped as his mother literally ran through him, not even seeming to notice. Kurt placed a hand on his chest and pushed; he was solid. He looked back over at his mother and tiny self to see them sitting by the river, Little Kurt in his mother's arms.

"God, Kurt, you scared me! You have to be careful around rivers," Kurt half smiled as he remembered the very lecture that was taking place again. He moved closer to the two and placed his hand just over his mother's shoulder, gasping slightly when it went right through. He was a ghost. They couldn't see him.

"Why, Mommy?" Little Kurt asked, reaching out towards the river to dip his hand in it, only to be pulled back.

"Because, Kurt, if you fell in I would lose you forever," She answered, smiling down lovingly at Little Kurt.

Little Kurt looked up, "Would you cry?"

Kurt watched the two closely, his throat closing up. Kurt remembered this. He remembered all his questions, he remembered all the answers. He remembered everything about his last moment with his mother.

Linda Hummel smiled down at Little Kurt, "I would cry every day and every night. I would cry until I couldn't cry anymore,"

"Why?"

"Because, Kurt, I would miss you terribly."

Little Kurt raised a hand to his mother's face, "I don't like it when you cry,"

Kurt kneeled down behind the pair, a tear running down his face as he watched his mother smile. "Don't worry, Kurt. We won't ever be apart, so there's no reason for either of us to cry."

"Liar," Kurt whispered. He was ignored by both of them. Kurt watched as the two smiled at each other, his mother reaching out to tickle Little Kurt, and his high laughter as he tried to get away. Linda stopped tickling and pulled Little Kurt close to her chest.

Little Kurt leaned forward and rested his head on his mother's shoulder. "I love you Mommy." He said quietly.

Linda looked down at Little Kurt and placed a hand on his head, holding him close. "I love you too, Kurt." She whispered just as quietly, "always."

The tears were flowing freely down Kurt's face, not showing a break anytime soon. For several minutes Kurt just sat there, watching his mother. How she would stare into the river, then look down at Little Kurt and maybe stroke his hair or press her lips to the top of his head. Kurt watched as the mini version of himself dozed off, his breathing evening out and his eyes closing. Kurt wished he could talk to his mom, but she didn't know he was here, even though he was sitting right behind her.

"Mom?" Kurt asked, flinching a little when he got no response. "Mommy?" he half sobbed, "please, Mom, I miss you," He made no move to touch her. It wouldn't do any good. His mother continued to ignore him. Kurt looked away, chewing on his lip, but both his mother's head and his own snapped up as leaves crunched behind them.

"Who's there?" Linda demanded, holding Little Kurt tighter. Kurt didn't watch where the sound was coming from; he was staring his mom, studying her reaction. Kurt's heart started beating double time when he saw his mom's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates and he heard a low rumble from behind. Kurt knew this was the animal that had killed his mother, and he was ready to find out what it was.

Kurt slowly turned around, expecting a bear or a pack of coyotes. What he didn't expect was to come face to face with a giant black wolf. The great beast wasn't looking at Kurt; it had its eyes trained on the duo behind him. The wolf stepped forward, walking straight through Kurt and nearing his mother. Linda gently moved Little Kurt so he was behind her and stood up, protecting her son.

The wolf stopped and bared its teeth, a growl sounding from its chest. Linda tried to distract the wolf from Little Kurt, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Kurt watched in terror as his mother slowly picked up a nearby rock and hurled it at the animal, and then running when the rock collided with the wolf's skull.

The wolf snarled and charged after Linda, Kurt not far behind.

It didn't take long for the wolf to catch up with Linda, in midstride the wolf lunged, tackling Kurt's mother to the ground. Both Kurt and his mother screamed as the animal dug its claws into her back, dark red spilling across her torso almost immediately. The wolf backed away, making no sound but its teeth bared into what almost looked like a wicked smile. Kurt sobbed as he watched his mother struggle to get on her feet, gasping and wincing as she stood. The wolf didn't attack; it only started stalking towards Linda, forcing her to back up. Kurt ran and placed himself in between the beast and his mother. He cringed as the wolf tensed to spring, but felt nothing. The only thing he heard was the wolf's triumphant bark and his mother's scream.

Kurt whirled around, just in time to see his mother fall backwards into the rushing river and the wolf land on the ground.

"_NO!"_ Kurt screamed, sprinting towards the river and diving in. He would save his mother. He had to. The river was larger and much deeper than Kurt thought it was; also much rougher. He tried to swim forward, but was only getting jerked around by the current. He needed more air. Kurt pushed himself upwards, gasping for breath as soon as his head broke the surface. The once beautiful day had turned into a storm, lightning crashed above him and thunder rumbled. Kurt spun around hectically, searching for any sign of his mother. He gasped loudly as he felt a hand close around his ankle; the last thing he heard before being pulled back down into the water was a howl and a scream...

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Kurt eyes shot open as he coughed up water that was trapped in his lungs, gasping for air when it was all out. Kurt looked around, noticing that he had been asleep with his face resting in a puddle. It was dark, and the only shapes Kurt were able to make out were the trees- giant black masses among the darkness. Kurt immediately knew what had happened, and he swore at himself for allowing it. He had fallen asleep by the river, and now it was dark and Kurt was freezing cold. Rain was falling rapidly onto his face and the wind was howling all around him; not helping him keep warm. Kurt crawled over to a tree, and pulled his legs up, wrapping his arms around them to try and preserve his body heat. He tightened his grip on his calves, trying to stop the shaking in his arms that had more to do with fear than cold.

Kurt thought about his dream, a fresh shiver running up his spine as he thought of the great black wolf. Coyotes were quite common in Ohio, but wolves had been hunted to near extinction; the only ones Kurt knew of were in wild life reserves. But there was no mistaking what the animal in his dream was. Kurt wondered if it actually was a wolf that killed his mother, or if it was just his imagination running wild.

Kurt buried his head into his knees, whishing he had brought his jacket. He was so cold. Kurt didn't know how long he stayed there curled in a tiny ball. The rain continued to pelt down on him, each drop feeling like a tiny razor as it struck his already freezing skin. Kurt was beginning to regret his little day trip; wishing he had just stayed at school and then gone home. Maybe cooked his dad a meal then just sat on his bed. Not going on a wild hike.

Eventually the rain stopped and the sky cleared, but Kurt didn't move from his spot; he was too cold. He looked up at the night sky; it was quite beautiful, all the stars twinkling against the dark. Kurt could survive one night in the forest, hell; he had survived two when he was six. All he had to do was wait until morning, and then he could find his way out again.

Morning seemed very far away.

Kurt needed a distraction. Thinking of his mother wouldn't help- not after his dream. So he thought of his dad instead. Kurt knew how worried his dad would be; he would pace around the house, calling all of Kurt's friends, and probably the police when he found no answers. Kurt started swearing at himself again when he thought about what would happen to his dad if Kurt didn't get out of the forest alive. It would kill him. Kurt decided that he needed to start thinking about other people before he did stupid things. But he would get out here alive; he had to believe it.

Kurt's heart stopped, then started racing as he heard leaves crunch behind him.

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	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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Kurt was completely frozen in place, not even able to twitch his finger he was so scared. All he could think was _I'm going to die. I'm going to die. _Kurt squeezed his eyes shut; not wanting to know what was behind him. A small part of him hoped that it was just a rabbit passing by, or maybe a squirrel, but the small part was completely drowned out when the rustling grew louder, and then stopped all together. Kurt heard whatever it was take a few steps forward so that it was standing in front of him and he quit breathing, now only praying that whatever it was would make his death fast and not drag it out.

It was silent for three seconds; Kurt didn't dare open his eyes.

_I'm going to die._

"Well, look what we have here."

Kurt's eyes flew open. Standing above him was a tall, beautiful woman with black hair and fair skin. She didn't look concerned for the soaking wet teen sitting on the forest floor. She looked amused.

"Did you get lost?"

Kurt didn't have working vocal cords at this point so he was only able to nod his head. He wasn't lost, but just saying yes was easier than explaining the whole story.

"Awe, do you need a place to stay for the night?" Just the way she asked had a shiver running down Kurt's spine. He didn't trust this woman; not at all. Kurt shook his head, declining the offer. He had a feeling he would be better off lost in the forest then with this woman.

"Don't be ridiculous, you're soaked to the bone," She said walking over to Kurt. He gasped as she grabbed a hold of his arm; her hand felt like an open flame. The woman lifted Kurt to his feet and steadied him, before letting go. Kurt stared at the woman studying her face.

Her face was framed by long, black hair, ending about half way down her torso. Her face was beautiful, every feature perfect and straight. Her eyes where what caught Kurt's attention the most, they were bright blue, standing out among her dark hair and fair skin. Kurt watched as her delicate eyebrows pulled together and a look of confusion crossed her face.

"Do I know you?"

Kurt quickly shook his head. Nothing about this woman was familiar; only frightening.

"I'm sure I do," she said starting to circle Kurt, looking him up and down, Kurt froze as she started to speak again, "what's your name?"

"K- Kurt," he stuttered.

The woman froze and turned to look at Kurt full on, "Kurt?" she asked with wide eyes. Kurt nodded, not being able to pinpoint where his fear was coming from. The woman walked towards Kurt and placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. Kurt gasped again as he felt the heat from her hands burn right through his shirt to his skin. He looked at her pale hands, her long fingers wrapped around his arms.

"Look at me," she whispered, her warm breath blowing across Kurt's face. He looked from her hands to her eyes. They were such a bright blue they almost looked un-natural. They were hypnotic; Kurt couldn't look away if his life depended on it. And right now, it felt like it did.

The woman laughed a manic laugh and let go of Kurt, a look half way between euphoria and disbelief on her perfect face. Kurt took a few steps back, terrified of the woman in front of him. She looked back at Kurt, her face alight with a fierce joy. "Kurt Hummel." She said again, staring down Kurt. Kurt didn't move; he had no idea what this woman wanted, or how she knew him. She stared at him again with her strange eyes, "Fate works in very mysterious ways doesn't it?" she asked, never taking her eyes off Kurt's face.

"Fate?" Kurt asked. He didn't know what to do, but he kept the woman talking. Kurt had a feeling that as soon as she stopped talking, something bad would happen.

"Yes... fate." She answered, the smile never leaving her face, "I was actually on my way to find you, Kurt, promises to keep," she said, waving a hand dismissively. Kurt felt his eyebrows pulling together in horrified confusion.

"God you look like your mother." The woman whispered suddenly. Kurt head shot up; shock all over his face. He shook his head quickly.

"M- My mom died ten years ago."

She continued to smile, but it changed. Instead of euphoric, it was sinister; evil. "Oh, I know." She said with a slight chuckle. "Just before she died I made her a promise," The woman back up a few steps, away from Kurt, "And this is me keeping that promise."

The woman sank down into a crouch, her smile widening until it looked like her cheeks would burst. Kurt didn't know why he did it, but he turned and ran as fast as he could away from the woman. As he ran he heard laughter, then a booming crack echoed through the air. Kurt ran, pushing himself to his limit in his haste to get away. He could hear something pursuing him, the loud _thud thud-thud thud _on the ground and then Kurt screamed as something heavy collided into his back, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Kurt was half sobbing, half gasping when he tried to sit up, crying out and collapsing back onto the ground when pain shot through his spine. He looked up, trying to find his attacker, but he and his heart froze when he looked up into the muzzle of the giant black wolf from his dream.

Kurt couldn't even able to scream his chest was so constricted with fear.

The wolf backed away and snarled at Kurt, the only part of it moving was its strange blue eyes- the exact same shade as the woman's- following his every move. Kurt slowly stood up, wincing as it pained his back. When he was on his feet he looked up at the wolf, studying it. It was the same wolf from his dream, he was sure of it. Kurt quit studying the wolf as it backed up; sinking into a crouch- now Kurt was more worried about the razor sharp teeth, glinting in the moonlight than making comparisons. The wolf let one more growl slip from its bared teeth before it lunged at Kurt.

Kurt closed his eyes, and the last thing he felt before he faded into the darkness was the wolf's steel teeth clamping onto his shoulder.

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Mercedes and Tina sat in front of the TV in Mercedes living room, watching Romeo and Juliet for their English class.

"You know, I don't get why people always cry when they watch this," Mercedes said, tilting her head to one side while Romeo cried over his dead wife.

Tina turned to look at Mercedes, tears rolling down her face. "I don't get how you can_not_ cry!"

Mercedes rolled her eyes turned to look at Tina, her eyebrows raised. She reached behind her, grabbed a tissue out of the box and handed it to her friend.

Tina laughed a little, "Thanks," she muttered. She took the tissue and wiped her eyes, making sure she didn't smudge her makeup.

"Speaking of Romeo," Mercedes said, casting a sideways look at Tina, "how are things between you and Artie?"

Tina sighed, Artie was so confusing, he walked with her and sat with her at lunch, but never tried to start conversation, "He still hasn't forgiven me. We talk sometimes, but all I get are one word answers."

"Tough luck, Tee." Mercedes looked at Tina, "Give him time, he'll come around." She chuckled, "He really likes you, you know."

Tina dropped the tissue and quickly turned to look at Mercedes, the movie was the farthest thing from either girl's mind right now, "What? How do you know that? I swear, Mercedes, if this is just you reading 'signs' then-"

"Girl, will you chill?" Mercedes laughed at the look on Tina's face, "I happen to know for a fact Artie likes you. He was talking to Kurt about it last week. Only lord knows why anyone would go to _Kurt _to talk about girl problems"

Tina didn't laugh at Mercedes' joke, "I want to know exactly what Artie said, _now_."

Mercedes rolled her eyes, "All he said was he was he still likes you, but doesn't know how to start things again." She met Tina's fierce stare with a smirk, "now will you tone it down and stop giving me that look?"

Tina looked away, taking in the new information. She needed time to process it, and right now, she couldn't, not with Mercedes staring at her like that, so she broached a new subject.

"Speaking of Kurt, did you ever find out why he is dressing like every other boy in the school lately?"

Mercedes face changed, it turned from teasing to almost pitiful as soon as Kurt's name was mentioned, "I've decided Kurt is allowed to be beside himself for a few days," she said slowly, her face confusing Tina. The phone rang loudly, making both girls jump. Mercedes reached around and took the phone out of the cradle, looking at the screen. "Speak of the diva..." She murmured, flashing Tina a sneaky grin.

"Alright, I do not want to listen to you two color coordinating for Monday. I'm getting something to eat,"

Tina stood up and walked to the kitchen, hearing a fading "What up?" from Mercedes as she answered the phone. Tina focused on the brown cupboards in front of her, blocking out Mercedes' half of the conversation; Kurt and Mercedes were great, but when they started talking designers... Well Tina always tried to get away before she could get roped into a six hour shopping trip.

Tina thought again about what Mercedes had told her about Artie. She knew she had hurt him badly, but he need to grow up and talk to Tina about it before it was going to get any better.

Reaching into the fridge, Tina pulled out two bottles of water, and then went to the pantry to try and find some chips. Tina noticed the time on the stove clock; it was nearing midnight; and she idly wondered why Kurt would be phoning so late. She pulled out a bag salt and vinegar chips and walked back into the living room, snacks in hand. Tina was surprised to see Mercedes sitting on the couch, not talking on the phone like Tina thought she would be. Usually her conversations with Kurt lasted at least an hour, most likely more, so Tina was slightly alarmed to see the phone in Mercedes hands and a dead look on her face.

"I hope you like salt and vinegar, is everything alright?" Tina asked, placing the food on the coffee table and sitting down, "What did Kurt say?"

Mercedes seemed to break out of a trance, looking at Tina. "That wasn't Kurt..." Mercedes trailed off, fixing her gaze on the phone.

Tina's eyebrows pulled together, "Then who was it?"

"His dad."

Tina was really worried now; Mercedes looked so broken, an expression that didn't belong in her always confident eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"No."

Tina placed her hands on Mercedes shoulders, "Mercedes, what happened?" The shocked, scared look on Mercedes face reminded Tina of a lost puppy. Something serious had to be wrong for her to look like this.

Mercedes looked up at Tina again, swallowed, and then opened her mouth, "Kurt's missing."

Tina froze, "what?"

Mercedes looked away, "Kurt is missing. That was his dad; he didn't come home at lunch like he said he would," She grew more frantic with every word, "Oh god," she choked out as she brought her hands to her mouth, "I have to call, see if he is with anyone, and then smack him if his is."

Tina couldn't speak; all she could do was watch as Mercedes dialled Artie's number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hi, Mrs. Abrams... Yes I know it's late but I need to know if Kurt is at your house... Alright... I'm sorry to wake you... Bye"

The conversation was very quick and before Tina knew it, Mercedes was punching Rachel's number into the keypad. Each phone call went exactly the same, the only part changing was the name. Tina watched as Mercedes called the entire glee club, each time getting the same result. The last number she dialled, Tina recognized as Kurt's.

"Hi, Mr. Hummel, I called everybody in glee, he wasn't with any of them... Okay, and please call if you find him... Thanks... Bye,"

Mercedes lowered the phone into her lap, looking so lost that Tina reached over and wrapped her friend in a hug.

"We'll find him," Tina whispered. She's not sure why she said it; all she knew was that her friend needed optimism right now. Tina wasn't extremely close to Kurt, although she considered him one of her closer friends. But Tina knew Kurt was Mercedes best friend, and she also knew that Mercedes would only be half herself until she knew Kurt had been found. It didn't matter if he was found in five minutes, or in five days, Mercedes would be broken until she saw him again.

And Tina hated seeing her friends broken.

"We'll find him."

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	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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Very slowly, Kurt began to feel again. He could feel his legs, his arms, and he could most certainly feel the sharp, burning pain in his left shoulder. But above all, he could feel the cold. It felt as if ice had been injected into his veins. There was no escape from it, whether it is the freezing rain pelting onto his face, the wind that ripped all around him, the terror that was attached to every cell in his body, or something else altogether, Kurt didn't know. All he knew was he was scared, alone, and in pain.

Kurt was scared; so scared. He didn't have any sort of idea of what was going on; why he was paralyzed on the forest floor, why a woman had come out of nowhere and started talking about his mother, why a wolf had attacked him like it had a purpose to doing so, or why he was _so damn cold. _Never in his life had Kurt been so deprived of warmth, and to say he missed it greatly would be a gross understatement. He didn't just miss warmth, he needed it. It felt like a single raindrop would shatter Kurt into millions of little pieces; like an ice sculpture being dropped. But Kurt stayed in one piece as raindrop after raindrop fell onto his body.

All Kurt could do was feel. He couldn't move and he couldn't hear or see; the only other working function was his sense of smell; the wet earthy smell of dirt mixed with the sharp tang of pine filled his nostrils every time he pulled in a shallow breath. The rain continued to pelt down on him as he just lay there, swimming in the blackness.

Eventually Kurt began to hear again; but what he heard shocked him greatly. At first it was only little things, like the rustling as a small mammal ran through the nearby bushes, or the river rushing somewhere close by. But then he could hear things like the beat of a bird's wings as it flew over head and the soft crunchas larger animals walked through the woods. He could hear every little _splat _each raindrop made as it fell and the whistling of the wind through every leaf. He shouldn't be able to hear these things and it terrified Kurt that he could.

Large pains in his shoulder distracted Kurt from the sounds; a sharp, stinging pain that suddenly had gotten worse. His shoulder was the only place that held any warmth at all; and even then it wasn't much. The pain was getting worse; Kurt felt like his whole left arm was about to fall off. His breathing was starting to become erratic and his heart was racing a thousand miles an hour. The pain reached its climax and Kurt quietly whimpered as his shoulder began to twitch. Then, so slowly, the pain started to disappear and the cold receded from his finger tips. Kurt's heart was still beating fast and his shoulder was still twitching, yet the pain was decreasing. His hands were warming and that warmth was slowly moving up each arm and leg, replacing the cold. The noises around Kurt were getting louder, more clear, and each smell was becoming more potent. The pain in his shoulder was almost completely gone; just a slight tingling still remained. Only Kurt's chest was still freezing; but within seconds the cold was gone; completely chased away by the warmth. His shoulder stopped tingling and his heart returned to its regular pace. Kurt didn't move; he just stayed on the ground, not sure if he _could_ move.

Slowly and carefully, Kurt curled his toes and made a fist with each hand; relaxing ever so slightly when nothing happened.

Kurt took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.

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Desperation- the act of being desperate. Having an urgent need or desire. If there was one thing Rachel Berry knows, it is desperation. The desperate need to be a star, the desperate need to be popular, the desperate need to have a boyfriend who can match her persona. Yes, Rachel knows desperation.

Or at least she thought she did.

Rachel thought she knew what desperation was; she thought she had been labelled as the very picture of desperation by her peers, but Rachel knew absolutely nothing about desperation compared to Kurt's father.

When news of Kurt's disappearance had gotten around, it didn't really faze Rachel. She could tell how affected everyone else was; yet she continued with her daily routine, barely thinking about it. But when the police officers came the school and started asking questions and Rachel saw Kurt's yearbook photo in the tiny box above the news anchor's head, shards of ice began to collect in her stomach. The ice spread when she arrived at school the next morning and really took in every glee club member's expression. Really saw the pain in each person's eyes. Now, three days after Kurt was last seen, here Rachel was at the police station, standing next to Kurt's father.

Rachel studied Mr. Hummel. He was quite tall, only slightly shorter then Finn, and rather bulky. Rachel knew he owned a car shop; there was only one in town; and he definitely looked the part. He bore little resemblance to Kurt, the only similarity Rachel could see was their eyes; they were near identical. At first glance, Rachel would have never believed that this man was Kurt's father; but only a parent's eyes could hold so much desperation.

"Hey, Rach," Rachel jumped as voice sounded from behind her. She turned to see Finn, a sombre look on his face, "I didn't think I would see you here."

Rachel stared at Finn, her eyebrows pulling together, "What do you mean?"

"I figured you didn't care much for Kurt."

Cringing slightly, Rachel looked away. She never really knew how she felt about Kurt; after he set her up with Finn they had made little progress as friends; but she had a special bond with Kurt, one she didn't have with anyone else. He was the only other one who had the same obsession with Broadway and- even though she hated to admit it- when he wasn't trying to sabotage her, Kurt actually had very good fashion advice. He also understood her love pains. A unique companionship had sprouted between Rachel and Kurt; it was almost like an unspoken friendship. But when Rachel had learned of the current situation, she didn't freeze up, she didn't cry, she didn't try to phone Kurt's cell phone, she just continued with her life.

So much for friendship.

Rachel snuck another look at Mr. Hummel and his failing attempts to find volunteers for search parties. She had to look away; so she looked back up at Finn, "Kurt's part of the team." She said slowly, "of course I care about him."

Finn nodded and a half smile appeared on his lips, "right."

"Hey guys,"

The two teens turned and saw Tina approaching them. It was rare she was ever seen by herself; she almost always was with Mercedes or Artie; yet here she was slowly making her way through the tiny crowd alone.

"Where're Mercedes?" Finn asked before Rachel could.

Tina frowned and looked at her shoes, "Mercedes' parents won't let her join the search parties."

"Wait, her parents won't _let_ her?" Rachel asked again, her eyebrows raised, "They do know Kurt and Mercedes are best friends, don't they?"

"They said she needs to let the police do their job, their reasoning being they don't want Mercedes' face on flyers all over town as well." Tina looked up at Rachel, "she was pretty upset, so I told her that I would go and Artie would stay with her. Not that I wasn't going to go already." She added hastily.

Finn frowned, "Poor Mercedes." Both girls nodded in agreement, "wait, why isn't Artie here?"

"His chair can't make it through the forest."

"Right," Rachel said. They had found Kurt's car at the entrance to hiking trails about two hours outside of Lima. Search parties were being arranged at the local station, and then those groups would drive up to the trails.

"Listen up!"

All three turned and looked at a police officer with a megaphone, standing on a table to make himself seen. "If you are under the age of eighteen you need to be in a group of four; one member of which needs to be an adult. You do not break away from this group. No exceptions. Each person will get a radio for communication and each group will get a map and compass as to navigate their way through the forest." The officer paused for a moment and studied the faces off the small group, "This is a very large park, abundant in bears, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion." Rachel didn't turn to look, but she heard Mr. Hummel let out a quiet sob. "You stay with your group and use caution. If you find Kurt Hummel, you radio in you location and wait to be found by police. When you have your group, come up here, sign in, and get your radios."

Rachel, Finn and Tina all looked at each other, half smiling and nodding, silently establishing their group.

"Now we need and adult." Rachel stated, looking around the room. She perked up when she saw a familiar face, "There's Mr. Schuester!"

At the sound of his name, Will looked up at the three students waving him over. He gave them a little half smile (no one had the heart to be smiling fully) and walked over to them.

"Mr. Schue, we need an adult in our group. Care to join?" Rachel asked as soon as he was in hearing range.

Will nodded, "Yeah, I'd be happy to be your adult," he said with a slight, half hearted smirk. "Just you three?"

All three nodded and Will nodded back, "Alright then; let's go sign up and help find our countertenor."

Rachel, Tina and Will all walked off to the sign up desk, leaving Finn behind with a confused expression.

"Guys, wait! What's a c- counter-thing? I thought we were looking for Kurt!"

.

.

Slowly sitting up, Kurt looked around; he was still in the middle of the forest, but now it was light out. Kurt tried standing, only to grab his head and reach out for something to steady him as a wave of intense vertigo hit. Finding nothing to grab onto, Kurt fell to his knees. His head was pounding, making it impossible to think. But he had to; he had to think of a way to get out of this mess. He didn't know what time it was, when it was or where he was; just that he was in the middle of the forest.

Kurt didn't try to stand again; he was still too dizzy. So instead he sat on the forest floor and listened to the sounds around him.

At least a dozen birds were chirping in all directions, not helping Kurt's headache. A black crow flew down and landed on a tree root a few feet in front of Kurt, staring at him with beady black eyes. Kurt watched the animal with wonder. How many times had he seen murders of crows and thought them to be nothing more than a nuisance? Kurt stared right back at the bird, studying its feathers; they were so black they were almost midnight blue and they had a certain shine to them that Kurt had never noticed before. The crow cawed and spread its wings. Kurt was so mesmerised by the bird that he didn't realize he was no longer alone.

"Everything is so much more beautiful than it used to be, isn't it?"

The bird screeched and took flight. Kurt gasped and turned around; wincing when it pained his head. He forgot how to move when he saw the mysterious woman from before standing behind him.

"You," Kurt breathed.

"Actually," the woman said with a slight smirk, "the name's Lyssa" Kurt kept his eyes trained on Lyssa as she started to circle him. "It all looks good, I mean, you didn't die, so; you're going to be just fine." She walked forward a kneeled beside Kurt, her smirk changing into a kinder smile. "Yes, the headache is usually the worst part, but it goes away."

Kurt studied Lyssa now that the dark wasn't clouding his view; her hair was much like the crow's, having almost a blue tint in the sunlight. She had a natural beauty that even Kurt could appreciate; but yet again, it was her eyes that threw Kurt off balance. They were just so _bright_. Lyssa stared right back at Kurt with her odd eyes, studying his face as well.

"You know, you don't look much different from when you were six."

Frowning, Kurt looked away. Lyssa smiled, "here," she offered Kurt her hand, "come look,"

Kurt stared at the hand she was offering, then back at her face. He had no idea if he could trust her. Just then, a strong wind blew from behind Lyssa, blowing her scent towards Kurt. The smell was indescribable, yet it had Kurt scrambling away from her. Something in his head screamed at him to get away, that this beautiful woman in front of him was dangerous. Kurt was on his feet, keeping his eyes on Lyssa while slowly backing away. She smiled a non threatening smile and slowly approached Kurt.

"It's okay," She said quietly. "I won't hurt you."

Kurt didn't believe her; he continued backing up until his back hit a tree. She was too close. He couldn't get away. Lyssa stopped before Kurt, giving him space yet being close enough to touch him. She lifted a hand and placed it lightly on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt quickly looked at her hand; the one thing he could remember clearly was the heat that had radiated from Lyssa's skin when she had touched him before. Now her skin felt normal. Kurt looked from her hand back to her eyes and took in a shaky breath.

"Who are you?" Kurt asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lyssa's smile widened, "I'm only someone who wants to help."

Kurt felt her grip on his shoulder tighten as she guided him forward. He allowed it; he couldn't see any other option than to go along with whatever she wanted. She led him to the river; another thing Kurt noticed was he didn't recognize any part of the forest around him. He was completely lost.

Lyssa dragged him down to his knees beside her at the river's edge. "Look," she said, pointing to the river. Kurt slowly looked from her to the water.

His heart stopped when he saw his reflection.

The water was choppy, but through the waves he could see that he had streaks of dirt across his face, which was still generally the same, but so different. The perfect skin Kurt always tried to achieve was his; there was no trace of any sort of deformation. His face was elongated, not as round as he remembered. He even looked a little older. Despite the fact Kurt had spent who knows how much time on the forest floor, his hair, although messy, had a certain shine to it; a shine that was mirrored in his eyes.

His eyes.

Kurt raised a hand to his face, touching the skin just under his right eye. His eyes were still green, but the pale green he shared with his father was gone; replaced with a much more vibrant one. He couldn't look away, they were as mesmerising as they were terrifying.

"What's happening?" Kurt asked; his voice barely audible.

"It's not as bad as you think," Lyssa said quietly, placing a hand on Kurt's back. "Well," Her voice took on a more sarcastic edge, "It might be."

Kurt's head shot up as he looked in horror at Lyssa. Her smile was still kind, but her eyes had hardened. Kurt looked from her face back to the river.

"So what do you think?"

Kurt hesitated, "I think... I want to know what's going on." He said in a shaky voice. Some part of him was still holding on to a little shard of hope that this was all a horrible dream and he would wake up soon. But another part; a much larger one; was screaming at him to figure things out because this was no dream. This was a nightmare.

A real one.

"Here," Lyssa said as she stood up, taking Kurt's elbow and pulling him up with her. When they were both on their feet, Lyssa backed away from Kurt, "I'll show you."

Kurt was very confused as he watched Lyssa close her eyes and let her head loll back. She stayed like that for a single moment before her shoulders rolled forward and she fell to the ground. Kurt's confusion turned to horror when Lyssa caught herself; but not with hands.

With paws.

Everything else was forgotten as Kurt stared at the giant black wolf in front of him; the very same one that had attacked him before. He didn't know what else to do but run; so Kurt turned on his heel and sprinted faster than he ever had away from the wolf, Lyssa, his reflection, everything.

He didn't stop running for a very long time.

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_Review?_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

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Mercedes walked through the hallway, her shoulders slouched and her gait lacking the usual confidence it always had. Everyone gave her a wide berth, turning their faces downward as they passed, not wanting to look her in the eye. Just up ahead Mercedes could see a jock in a football jacket with a grape slushie in his hands. She didn't even have the energy to cringe. The jock took a brief look at Mercedes, turned to his friends, laughed, and then turned back to her. The smile faded off his face as he looked from Mercedes to the slushie in his hands. He turned to back to his friends and shook his head. _Do I really look that bad?_ Mercedes thought to herself. Well at least there was one small benefit in this hell; no slushie facials.

As she passed a window, Mercedes cringed. She refused to look in any mirrors and she shrank away from any reflective surfaces. She didn't want to know how she looked; but she still knew what. Dark circles under her eyes; courtesy of the sleepless nights; hair unkempt and clothes unmatched. But right now, Mercedes couldn't care less about her appearance. Let people judge her. What would they say? _That outfit is hideous. _Or maybe; g_irl fix that hair of yours, it looks like a breeding place for small creatures. _No. No one would berate her for looking like she did.

That was Kurt's job.

A familiar burning sensation started in Mercedes eyes and throat. She quickly ducked into the nearest classroom; which just happened to be the choir room; letting herself fall against the closed door and slide to the ground, putting her head in her hands and just letting the tears fall. She let a few delicate sobs escape, but nothing too major. Mercedes saved the real hardcore crying for her room.

After a few minutes the tears dried and Mercedes looked up, noticing for the first time just how eerily silent the choir room was. There was almost always someone in here; whether it's Brad, arranging his sheet music, or Rachel, practicing her scales, or Mr. Schue. This _was_ his office (and pretty much his whole life) after all. Mercedes' gaze shifted nervously around the room. A streak of crimson by the door to Mr. Schue's office caught her attention and Mercedes surveyed the surrounding area more closely. Something rose in her throat when she saw a matching, smeared crimson handprint on the doorframe.

Slowly standing, Mercedes cautiously approached the entrance to Mr. Schue's office. She looked at the deep red stain on the floor, and then up to the hand print. This looked way too much like a bad crime scene show for Mercedes liking. This is where the person discovering the body would turn and see a bloody body, and then scream.

A sick feeling was quickly building in Mercedes' stomach. She didn't want to be the person who discovered the body. But curious impulse got the better of her as she turned to look into Mr. Schuester's tiny office.

Mercedes completely froze as she saw a small, lanky, bloody teen sprawled out face down on Mr. Schue's desk. The boy was dressed in horribly familiar designer clothes. Mercedes felt like she was going to be sick right then and there when she recognized the outfit the boy was wearing. But Mercedes couldn't stop herself; she needed to make sure it wasn't him. Walking forward, Mercedes gently rolled the boy's head back to look at his face.

Kurt's eyes were wide and staring, and his lips were slightly parted, blood dripping from between them. Mercedes' hand tangled in Kurt's hair as she sunk to her knees beside the desk, a cry escaping her mouth.

"Baby? Please, c'mon Kurt," Mercedes cried, her eyes moving to his body. She cringed when she saw the dark red stained all over his pale blue shirt. "Please, baby wake up."

Mercedes' pleas turned to raking sobs, tears pouring down her face. The sobs shook her whole body and the tears clouded her eyes. She nudged Kurt again, praying for some sort of response. When she got none, Mercedes' sobs turned to screams. She felt someone shaking her shoulders, trying to pry her away from Kurt's cold body.

She wouldn't have it.

Mercedes clutched at Kurt's hand, his fingers limp in hers. She screamed and she screamed, not allowing her company to pull her away. Mercedes couldn't look away from Kurt's eyes. The beautiful pale green was masked behind a cloud, making his eyes vacant. Dead.

"Mercedes!"

Another sharp jerk on Mercedes' shoulders caused more tears to spill over.

"NO!" She yelled, her fingers tangling in Kurt's bloodied shirt. "NO! _PLEASE!" _She screamed,"WAKE UP!"

"Mercedes!"

"NO!"

"_Mercedes!"_

"_PLEASE!"_

"MERCEDES!"

Mercedes gasped as her eyes popped open. Her hands were caught in her pillowcase and the bed sheets were tangled around her legs; she cringed as the light from lamp hit her eyes. Her face and her pillow were both very damp from tears and sweat. Mercedes fell back onto the pillows, her eyes closed and her breathing shaky.

"Mercedes?"

Mercedes opened her eyes slowly to see her Mama sitting on the edge of her bed, a worried look on her face. She reached across and smoothed the hair away from Mercedes' face, her eyes worried.

"Oh, Honey," was all she said.

Tears continued to fall down Mercedes' face; she didn't think they'd ever stop.

"Was it about Kurt again?"

Just hearing his name brought a hysterical hiccup to Mercedes' lips. Kurt's pale, bloody face floated up to the surface of her mind, and soon the hiccup turned into sobs_. _This wasn't the first time Mercedes had dreamed about Kurt. The night before last had been a particularly terrible nightmare involving Kurt's bedroom, his vacant eyes, and blood; so much blood.

Mercedes' Mama scooted closer to her daughter, wrapping her arms around her. Mercedes hugged her Mama back, burying her face in the fuzzy bathrobe around her shoulders. The scent was comforting; it helped to calm Mercedes' sobs.

"It's been four days!" Mercedes cried into her Mama, her words muffled slightly by the material.

"Shh," her mama shushed, "They are going to find him, Honey. You have to believe that."

The sobs had quieted enough for Mercedes to sit up and look her Mama in the eye.

"Mama, please, let me join a search party! Let me _help _find him!"

"No."

Her answer was clearly supposed to end the conversation, but Mercedes wouldn't let it go. Not with the dead face of her best friend in her mind. "Mama please! I have to do something-"

"You're right, you will do something." Mama looked into Mercedes tear filled eyes, "You will let the police do their job."

"But Mama-"

"I will not have you out in the middle of the forest, Mercedes."

"But you will take away volunteers to help find Kurt, who is _in the middle of the forest!" _Mercedes yelled the last part, her voice rising in pitch. "He's my best friend Mama, don't you care about him?"

Mercedes watched as her Mama's eyes hardened, "don't start with me, Mercedes Jones. You know how deeply I care about Kurt. Lord knows he is practically my forth child. But it's not my- or your- place to go wandering out into the forest in hopes of stumbling across him."

Mercedes' eyes sunk down to stare at her hands, folded in her lap. "Please, Mama." Her voice was broken. She knew her Mama wasn't changing her mind about this.

She felt a hand press to her cheek, but Mercedes didn't look up. "I'm sorry, Baby." Her Mama apologized, wiping a stray tear away, "it's three in the morning, try to go back to sleep."

And with that, Mercedes' Mama stood up and walked out of her room, closing the door with quiet _click_. Mercedes just sat there and let a few more tears run down her face before she grabbed a pillow and buried her face into it, screaming as loud as she could. The pillow muffled her scream pretty well, but that didn't stop her brother from bursting into her room.

Mercedes lifted her head from the pillow and watched her brother's expression turn from worried to annoyed as soon as he saw she was okay.

"What do you want, Jordan?"

Jordan shrugged and leaned against the doorframe, "I was just making sure there wasn't an axe murderer trying to kill you or anything."

Mercedes closed her eyes and spoke to her brother without opening them, "look, Jordan. I am _really _not in the mood right now. So go back to bed, and leave me the hell alone."

Mercedes heard the floorboards groan as Jordan walked towards her, and then she felt the mattress sink as he sat down on the bed. It was quiet for a few moments; the only sound was Mercedes' laboured breathing as she tried to control her sobs.

"He's strong."

It was just a simple statement, but it had Mercedes opening her eyes to stare at her usually jerk ass brother. "What?"

"Kurt," Jordan explained, staring at a small strip of black and white photo booth pictures of Mercedes, Tina and Kurt on her bedside table. "He's going to survive because he's strong."

Mercedes fought back more tears, "what the hell do you know about Kurt?"

He frowned slightly, just a little change in the set of his mouth. "A lot more than you think I do." Jordan said, looking down at Mercedes' confused expression. He smiled slightly and lay down on the bed, placing one arm behind his head and extending the other one, motioning for Mercedes to lie down with him. She did, leaning into his side. He adjusted his arm so that it was around her shoulders comfortably before starting.

"I know you and Kurt weren't friends when you were in grade nine, so you probably don't know too much about this, but I was sort of... Kurt's secret bodyguard, if you will. I looked out for him, pulled him out of dumpsters and things like that." He stopped for a minute, allowing Mercedes to ask the question he knew was coming.

"But you were in grade twelve, most popular guy in school, why would you help out Kurt?"

"Because," Jordan answered, "I didn't like to see this poor little kid get pushed around like a ragdoll. Of course the jocks were jerks to all the losers, but they were really nasty to Kurt. I was a leader in the school; I didn't like to see it happen." He looked up at the ceiling and Mercedes looked at him. Hearing no questions, Jordan kept going.

"One day I saw a big cluster of guys around the janitor's closet, they were laughing pretty hard at something so I walked up and asked them what was going on. They had locked Kurt in the closet because they thought the irony would be amusing." Mercedes' jaw fell open. How could someone do that to anyone; especially to Kurt?

"I tried to break it up, but when I opened the door to let him out, they ended up pushing me in and locking the door again."

Bile rose in Mercedes' throat. She wanted to hunt down every one of those guys and personally make them pay for doing that. Not just for Kurt, but for her brother and any other kid they beat on.

"We were locked in that closet for a good hour before the janitor can by to get a mop. In that hour Kurt told me about all the bullying that he'd gone through since he was in grade six. 'Cedes," Jordan looked down at Mercedes, "if Kurt got through all of that and is still able to walk around the way does, he's going to be just fine."

Mercedes smiled the tiniest smile at Jordan before it fell off her face, "That still doesn't stop me from worrying."

"It's not supposed to." Jordan said, returning the tiny smile, "All I'm doing is telling you that Kurt's strong."

Mercedes put her head down on Jordan's shoulder, grateful once in her life for her brother. "You can imagine my shock when walk in the door after coming home from L.A and seeing Kurt at the table." Jordan added with a slight chuckle. "I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; he's pretty much the male version of you."

Mercedes couldn't bring herself to laugh, but she smiled against Jordan's shoulder. "I think this is the first time I'm really, really glad that you're in my life," she said quietly, a weak, but joking tone in her voice.

"We're making progress."

All of the lost hours of sleep were starting to dawn on Mercedes, making her eyelids droop and her breathing deepen. "That's right, 'Cedes, go to sleep," she heard her brother say quietly. "Kurt's strong. He's going to be found alive and well."

_Kurt's strong. _Jordan's voice echoed around in her head. Her family was right; she needed to believe that they would find Kurt. And they would find him, because Kurt _is _strong.

But just as Mercedes was about to drift off to sleep, one last thought entered her mind. One thought that had more tears soaking through Jordan's shirt and her stomach clenching up.

Yes, Kurt was strong.

But was he strong enough?

**.**

**.**

Lyssa watched with amused eyes as Kurt sprinted away from her. She decided she would give Kurt a few seconds head start before chasing after him; it would take no time at all to track him down. So she counted to five, and then started in a casual jog after him. She quickly picked up his scent and followed it, barely giving any thought to the tracking. Lyssa's thoughts were far away, ten years away, thinking about her first meeting with Kurt and her promise to his mother. The promise that in ten years she would hunt down her friend's son and make him pay for everything she did.

Slowing down slightly, Lyssa let her mind wonder back to when she eighteen; a camping trip with Linda up in Canada, just two friends and the wilderness. But everything had changed when Lyssa was attacked, turning her from human to something else; something hideous. Unlike most, Lyssa hated everything about this life she was forced into. She still thought about her old life, her family, and her old friends. One friend in particular she thought about more so than the others. Linda; her best friend since elementary school, it was an instant connection; one that carried all through school. So when Linda abandoned Lyssa after she found out she was no longer fully human, it tore Lyssa apart. She had no one else to turn to; they would all treat her like a disease. So Lyssa stayed away from humans and away from others of her kind. She couldn't bear to be around them and their love for this horrible life. She stayed within the forest, her mind almost always on Linda and how her life could have been different if her friend had stayed with her. She could have had her life like she wanted it and no one would have known that she turned into a wolf.

After three years of depressing thoughts, Lyssa eventually sought out her old friend. What she found had her sinking back into the trees, hatred and malice tainting her every thought. Just seeing Linda tucked under a man's arm, a wedding ring on her finger and her stomach bulging with pregnancy made Lyssa sick. That was _her _life; the one that had been stolen from right under her fingertips.

So six years later, she made a promise to her dear friend. A promise to take away her little Kurt's life the way hers had been. Inwardly smiling, Lyssa felt a deep satisfaction. Her promise was fulfilled. Kurt was no longer human. Now the fun began.

Voices echoed out from the far distance, ripping Lyssa out of her thoughts.

Humans. Even worse, humans searching for Kurt. The sound of his name being called out made Lyssa swear and start to sprint after Kurt. If she could hear them, he certainly could. And if he was found by a search party, it would ruin everything. She was close; she could hear Kurt's quick breathing as he ran, and soon she could see his small figure running through the trees. Lyssa let a loud growl escape from her throat, trying to startle him. It worked; Kurt looked over his shoulder his eyes wide and panicked, and then his foot caught on tree root, sending him tumbling to the ground. Lyssa slowed, stopping a few meters away from Kurt. He rolled so he was facing Lyssa and gasped for breath. She loved watching the terror in his eyes as she stepped forward, pushed up off the ground, and took a step closer to Kurt, raising her hands as if she was surrendering. Kurt's eyes grew even wider and his heart stopped for a brief moment when Lyssa made the change from animal to human. As hard as she tried, Lyssa couldn't keep the evil out of her smile. This was why she suffered alone with her thoughts for nineteen years, for this moment. She took another step closer.

"You can feel it, can't you?" She asked, taking another step. She stared right into Kurt's terror filled eyes, "behind all that fear, you can feel the need to defend yourself."

Kurt broke the eye contact, staring at the ground.

"Don't fight it," Lyssa whispered, kneeling down beside him. Kurt scrambled away from her, getting to his feet. Lyssa could hear the humans coming closer, Kurt could too. He quickly looked over his shoulder towards the voices. Lyssa saw his foot shift in the slightest, giving away his intended escape route. She needed to stop him.

"I'm the one who did this to you, Kurt," Lyssa stated simply while standing. That got his attention, his head turned to face her. "I'm the reason you are in this mess." She said. Lyssa could tell she was slowly getting into Kurt's head from the way his hands were shaking and his eyes were starting to glow brighter. "All that heat building inside you, don't fight it. Let it loose."

Soon, Kurt's arms were trembling and his jaw was clenched. Lyssa only needed one more thing to push him over the edge. One more thing and he would snap, "It's just horrible thinking about your friends and how they miss you," Lyssa sighed, putting on a fake sympathy show, "or your dad, he must just be in a panic right now!"

At the mention of his dad, Kurt's upper lip curled back and his eyes glowed bright green. His face was slowly transforming from terrified to hostile, which was exactly what Lyssa wanted. His entire body was quivering. He was almost there. All Lyssa needed was the finishing touch and Kurt would make the transformation. She smiled as she delivered the final blow.

"It's my fault."

A hushed growl sounded from between Kurt's clenched teeth and his face turned from hostile to tortured in an instant as he cried out and fell to the ground.

"My fault," Lyssa whispered quietly, a tiny smile on her face as she watched Kurt, his body writhing and curling in pain.

**.**

**.**

"Alright, we should be coming to a river soon," Will said, looking at the map in his hands. Rachel, Tina and Finn all nodded and continued walking, occasionally calling out Kurt's name. This was their first trip into the forest to look for Kurt, and each was holding their hopes high. Rachel walked parallel to Finn, about ten feet away. She had traded her usual skirt and leggings for a more appropriate jeans and a winter jacket. She heard Finn call out Kurt's name again and soon after Tina called out. Yelling did terrible things to a person's vocal cords and even though she wanted to find Kurt as much as everyone else, she left the yelling to the others. Instead Rachel hummed a light tune under her breath, trying to calm the paranoia in her system. There was a reason Rachel had her sights set on places like New York, the _concrete _jungle. Forests always had a tenancy to set Rachel off balance, she didn't like what she didn't know and she didn't know anything about the forest; what secrets it held.

"Here's the river!" Tina called out from Rachel's right. Rachel turned and saw Tina pointing towards the sound of rushing water. She turned and walked passed Tina to the river's edge. Rachel had to admit, the river was gorgeous, but she couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of it. Not while Kurt was in the middle of the beautiful forest probably freezing cold and hurt. Just the thought brought tears to Rachel's eyes. She didn't know why she was crying, it just seemed like the proper thing to be doing right now.

Rachel felt two strong arms wrap around waist. She didn't have to turn to know it was Finn. She leaned into him and let a single tear slide down her face. Finn looked down at her and quickly wiped it away.

"We're going to find him," he said quietly, hugging Rachel tighter, "he's going to be okay."

"You don't know that."

Finn frowned, "you're right, but that doesn't mean I can't hope."

Neither teen said anything as they watched the river for a few moments. A flash of color caught Rachel's eye and she stepped out of Finn's arms to go and pluck the piece of blue fabric from between two rocks sticking out of the water. She wrung the fabric out and held it up. It was a scarf and a very familiar one too. But Rachel couldn't place where she had seen it. She held it up for Finn to see and his eyebrows pulled together as he shrugged. But both Rachel and Finn turned as they heard a gasp from behind.

Tina stood beside a giant tree with one hand at her mouth and her eyes wide. She took uneasy steps forward until she reached Rachel and took the scarf out of her hands.

"Th- This..." she swallowed, "this is..." Tina couldn't seem to get the words out.

"Tina, this is clearly not the time for a false stutter, just speak." Rachel demanded, grabbing a hold of both Tina's shoulders.

Tina looked from the material to Rachel, and then behind her to Finn. Mr. Schue stepped out from the trees and walked over to his students.

"What's that?" he asked, nodding at the scarf.

Tina chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she looked straight into Rachel's eyes.

"This is Kurt's," she whispered, her voice nearly inaudible, "he wore it the day he went missing."

Everyone froze for a split second before Will pulled out his radio and started talking with a police officer. Tina didn't look away from Rachel, but tears started trailing down her face. Rachel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Tina, not saying anything. A few seconds later Rachel felt Finn's arms around her and Tina. The only sounds were the river and Mr. Schue's low, urgent voice as he talked to the officer.

No, they didn't know that Kurt was okay, but they at least now knew he was out there somewhere.

Alive or not, Rachel could only hope.

**.**

**.**

Kurt rolled around on the forest floor, his back arching and his fingers digging into the soil as the pain coursed through his body. Cries mixed with what sounded like growls filled the air as Kurt tried to free himself of the agony. It felt like every bone in his body was being shattered one by one, starting with his each of his ribs. It felt as if knives were being raked across his skin, tearing his flesh open. And his head; oh god his head hurt like never before. There was a roaring in his ears and pounding in the back of skull that added to the torture. Kurt's head rolled to the side and he briefly opened his eyes, catching sight of Lyssa, just standing there, smiling at him. Kurt begged her with his eyes to help him, his body continuing to spasm.

Her smile just widened. She was enjoying every second of Kurt's torment.

Kurt eyes snapped closed again as he screamed, long and loud when the pain reached his arms and legs. A hand clamping down over his mouth quickly cut the scream, but Kurt kept writhing underneath the grasp. Large cracks echoed all around Kurt and now he was sure his bones were breaking. Kurt tried to scream or beg or do anything, but he couldn't move under Lyssa's grip.

Suddenly, something changed. The pain ceased for a single second and Kurt caught a breath; but then a bubble of heat exploded in Kurt's chest. He screamed, even louder than before, but the scream turned into something alien. A sound Kurt didn't recognize. As soon as the intense pain had come, it was gone. Now Kurt felt fine.

He just lay there for a few moments, gasping for breath, before rolling onto his side and trying to stand up. Kurt couldn't seem to get his legs underneath him to stand, he just kept stumbling. Kurt looked down at his arms to try and see what the problem was, but when his eyes reached where his hands should be, he didn't see hands.

He saw paws.

Kurt's eyes grew wide as he lifted the paw- he refused to think of it as his- off the ground. He stumbled a little and fell onto his side, landing with a huff.

"It takes a little while to get used to the legs,"

Kurt froze when he heard Lyssa's voice from somewhere beside him, and then he yelped and jumped back when he felt a hand on his throat. The sound coming out of his mouth startled Kurt; it wasn't a _human _yelp, it sounded like one a dog would make. Kurt looked up at Lyssa and her triumphant smirk as anger immediately spread through him. Kurt didn't want any more riddles, he wanted answers. He started to yell at Lyssa, but all that came out where growls and barking. Another yelp escaped Kurt's lips when he realized the barking was coming from _him._

"Shh," Lyssa whispered, walking forward to Kurt and kneeling down in front of him, "calm down."

Kurt took a deep breath and looked Lyssa right in the eyes. He tried to ask what was going on, but only a low whine sounded from his throat.

"_Hey, Kurt!" _

Kurt's ears perked up as he heard his name being called in the distance. He took one last look at Lyssa before he backed away and turned around, running towards the sounds. Running felt so different! He stumbled a few times before he picked up the pace, getting used to the feel. He didn't know what that meant; why he suddenly had to readjust to running. Answers; that's what Kurt needed right now, he needed to know what the hell was going on. Hopefully the people calling his name could help.

"_Kurt, buddy, come on! If you're out there, please, make some noise!" _

Kurt's stride faltered for a moment before he picked it up double pace.

That was the voice of his father.

Kurt was getting closer, he could hear the conversation his father and the other man were having in-between shouts.

"...Damn it, Gary, I know my son's voice and that was him who screamed. I want to find him _alive _so hurry the hell up!"

A tear escaped from the corner of Kurt's eye when he heard his father speak. No one could mistake the desperation in his tone. Kurt pushed himself to go even faster, needing to see his dad, to tell him that he was alright, to apologize and hug him.

Soon Kurt could hear his father's footsteps, and then he could hear his heartbeat. Then, after what felt like forever, Kurt could see his father's bulky figure hurrying through the trees.

_Dad! _Kurt tried to call out. _Dad, over here! _But the only sound filling the air was the barking of a dog. But Kurt wouldn't give up. He continued making whatever noises he could to get his dad's attention. Kurt watched as his dad turned around, he sighing with such a deep relief and slowed to a stop.

But what Kurt didn't understand was the horror that shot across his father's face when they made eye contact.

**.**

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**_Review? _**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

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"Damn it, Gary, I know my son's voice and that was him who screamed. I want to find him _alive _so hurry the hell up!"

Burt Hummel yelled at his company, urging them to hurry. Why couldn't they move at the same speed as him? Didn't they have kids? Didn't they understand the horror Burt was facing, trying to find his son alive in the massive forest? No, they didn't. They didn't understand because it wasn't _their _kid lost in the woods. It wasn't _their_ kid possibly fighting for their life or freezing to death. It wasn't _their_ kid, so they only had to give fifty percent in the search; a half ass attempt. And that didn't sit well at all with Burt.

Because it was _his _kid lost in the woods.

It was _his _kid possibly fighting for his life.

And it was most definitely _his _Kurt who had let loose the massive scream just minutes ago.

The scream pierced right through Burt, almost sending him to his knees. But he had to keep searching; if he stopped, it was all over. He would be totally and completely alone; the last Hummel.

This was all too horribly familiar for Burt; the frantic searching, the groups of people all trying to help. He had been in this exact position before, tearing through the woods looking for his wife and son. The only difference was this time it was only Kurt. Linda was already dead.

Was this some kind of cruel joke? Has he failed as a father so the universe was going to take away his son like it took away his wife? Was he never meant to have a family?

But Burt accepted his boy! He looked out for Kurt, defended him when he could, guided him when needed. Most of all, he loved his son, just like he had loved his wife. That was a hell of a lot better than most assholes out there. Child abusers, wife beaters; they neglect their family; they have no love for the ones who love them. Burt could never even think of laying a hand on his wife. She was so beautiful, smart, radiant, kind... perfect. They had known each other for little over a year before Burt proposed. As far as he was concerned, that was a year too long. He knew she was the one right from the start. Then after another year, it happened; their miracle baby; little Kurt. The memory of standing beside Linda in the ultrasound clinic was one of the most defined memories Burt had of her pregnancy. That was when Burt found out that he was going to have the little boy he's always dreamed of. Seven months later, he stood beside Linda in the hospital. She was holding their son; he was real. All the months fantasizing about father-son bonding and finally here was the proof that it would happen. The way Kurt had looked up at him with big round eyes, Linda smiling at him and murmuring soft affections to the little baby boy. It was in that moment Burt truly knew what love was. The love for his wife and the love for his son; that was all he would ever need in this world. As long as he had that, he could survive anything.

But his wife was dead.

And now his son might be too.

He couldn't be. Burt refused to think of what would happen if they found Kurt's lifeless body on the forest floor, or worse, if they didn't find him at all; just like his mother. Not knowing whether or not Kurt was still alive; still hoping to be found. Still harbouring faith in his father to find him; _trusting _his daddy to find him before he was killed by wild animal.

Burt remembered back to when Kurt was little, just after the police had called off the search parties on his mother; the nightmares that haunted Kurt every night for months afterwards. Nightmares that got so bad that Burt considered calling in professional help for his six year old son. He never found out what exactly it was Kurt was dreaming about, but Burt had a faint idea that it involved Kurt lost in the forest.

Now Kurt was reliving that nightmare; literally. And Burt was going to do his damned best to save his son.

Wild barking and howling was growing louder from somewhere in the near distance. Burt blocked it out; he had more important things to focus on. But soon the howling was so loud Burt could barely hear anything else. He turned around to the source of the noise, expecting to see a blood hound or some other kind of search dog.

The one thing Burt didn't ever expect to see was the grey wolf running full speed towards him.

Burt cussed and tried to back away as fast as possible, but he tripped over his own feet and fell on his side. Burt tried to scramble away from the wolf but it skidded to a stop not five feet away from him with a high whine escaping its throat.

"Don't move, Burt!" Gary yelled from behind him. The wolf looked from Burt to Gary, it's unnaturally green eyes horrified. The only time Burt had ever seen a wolf this close was on TV. They told you about the wolves hunting habits and their antics within the pack, but never once had Burt seen a show that told you what to do when face to face with one. The wolf stared right at Burt, its eyes burning with such a fierce emotion that could only be described as _human._ This grey wolf right in front of him was staring at Burt with _human _emotions of horror, confusion, sorrow, and anger? This was the oddest thing Burt had ever seen; yet he was captivated by this wolf. Its bright green eyes seemed so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. He couldn't look away. The wolf's eyes quickly darted to a spot behind Burt and suddenly it yelped in surprised and backed away.

Behind him, Burt heard Gary cock his gun.

The wolf looked so terrified and innocent. For some reason, the expression on the canine's face reminded Burt of Kurt.

Kurt.

What if this animal in front of Burt had hurt his son? Had this strange wolf been the cause of the blood curtailing scream? Burt didn't want to take any chances. What he wanted was to find his son and this wolf was making that very difficult.

Though his throat was tight with fear and some unknown emotion, Burt managed to form a few sentences.

"Just shoot it Gary. We need to find Kurt."

The wolf let loose a wild howl and took another step towards Burt, barking and whining loudly like it understood what he had just said. The pain in the animal's eyes was taunting Burt. He couldn't place it, but he knew that look. A tear fell from the corner of the wolf's eye.

Three rapid gunshots were fired from behind and the wolf froze for a split second, making tortured eye contact with Burt before its legs buckled and it fell to the ground with a soft thud. It let out one last soft whine before its eyes closed and the grey body became still.

"C'mon, up ya get," Gary said, grabbing a hold of Burt's shoulder and helping him to his feet. Burt stumbled over to the animal, ignoring the blood that was pooling beneath it and soaking into the forest floor. He looked it over once before pushing down all the emotions that weren't making sense and turning back to Gary.

"We have to find Kurt."

Gary nodded, raising his eyebrows at Burt, "are you alright?" he asked slowly.

"Fine," Burt muttered a little gruffly. He looked behind him one last time at the dead animal. He was feeling more devastated about the death of the wolf than he should be. It was as if he had made a connection with it in the last few moments of its life. But yet again Burt ignored all the feelings he didn't understand and focused on one thing only.

He needed to find his son.

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	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

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Kurt lay on the forest floor, waiting. For what exactly, he didn't know. Maybe he was waiting for a bright light; to see his life flash before his eyes or some other tasteless cliché. Kurt has seen all the movies, he has read all the books and he knows what happens now.

He had just been shot... three times.

Now he was supposed to die.

But Kurt just lay there waiting. Everything seemed louder than it should; the few birds that hadn't been scared off by the gunshots were chirping merrily in the trees like nothing was wrong. It was like they were mocking Kurt. The search parties raged on around him, despite the fact that he lay half dead on the forest floor. Kurt could feel the blood pooling beneath him; _his _blood pooling beneath him. The wounds in his chest were burning. They hurt; a lot.

But it wasn't the gun wounds that were burning.

It was the knowledge that his father may have well pulled the trigger. That his father was the reason Kurt was bleeding on the ground.

_Just shoot it Gary. We need to find Kurt._

_Just shoot it._

_Shoot it._

The words flew around in Kurt's mind like wasps, each thought stinging and causing more tears to leak from the corners of his eyes.

Kurt tried to force the blackness to overtake his mind, but, much to his dismay, he remained conscious. He didn't want to live with the pain anymore; it hurt too much to know that he had been inches away from escaping this nightmare, mere seconds away from running into his dad's arms and forgetting that this ever happened.

His actual wounds didn't hurt; it must be shock that kept the pain away, but they did itch and they itched badly. Kurt wanted to try and scratch them, but he had lost all motivation to move, or even live for that matter. So he just lay there waiting.

After a few moments though, the itching stopped and it felt as if a huge weight was lifted off Kurt. His breathing became steadier and his head clearer. He didn't know what caused the change and quite frankly, he didn't care. Kurt was never suicidal; he could never do that to his dad. Sure he had thought about it whilst lying in dumpsters and cleaning corn syrup off his face, but he never actually considered it an option. Not until now.

Not until his father had played a major hand in his death.

But Kurt still didn't understand! He didn't understand why his father looked so terrified or why the only noises he could make were those of a _dog_! Kurt's eyes flickered lazily down towards his arms which were lying at odd angles in front of him. They were covered in light grey fur, the tendons sticking out more so than usual. And at the end of each arm where his hands should be, there were paws.

Kurt was sure he was dreaming. There was no way this could really be happening. Soon his alarm clock would go off and he would get up, put on the outfit he had picked out the night before and go to school. He would endure the lectures and avoid the jocks. And then he would get to glee and everything would be better. He would sit with Mercedes, fight with Rachel, dance with Mike, and explain something simple to Brittany when Santana was occupied. Everything he had to endure in that day would disappear in that joyful hour.

But with every second passing while Kurt lay on the forest floor, that reality started to seem more and more like a fantasy.

"You could try standing you know."

Kurt didn't bother freezing or jumping at the soft yet smug voice behind him. There was nothing left to be scared of. The only other person Kurt lived for (besides himself) had just killed him.

Fingertips were gently brushing over the side of Kurt's face, lingering just below his eye, wiping away a tear.

"Try moving," Lyssa coaxed from behind him, "I promise it won't hurt."

Kurt knew it wouldn't hurt, but regardless he stayed still. Why couldn't she just kill him already? It wouldn't be murder; it would be gift.

"Please?"

Closing his eyes, Kurt sighed deeply. Without opening them, he lightly and slowly twitched his... _paw. _It was a subtle movement; a very small one; but it took so much effort to do.

"That's pathetic."

Kurt huffed again, this time in anger and annoyance. Why couldn't she leave him alone? All Kurt wanted was to curl up in a ball and let death take him. Not only was Lyssa making that very hard to do, she also seemed as if she were enjoying herself while preventing him.

Kurt didn't trust Lyssa at all. The feeling ran bone deep, Kurt couldn't ignore it. The trails her fingers were leaving on his cheek burned right through his skin and into his skull. Words like _traitor _and _betrayal _came to his mind. _Hatred, anger, longing, evil..._

_Revenge_

If Kurt had any will at all, he would get up and run as far away as he could from Lyssa.

"I know you think you're dead, but if you tried moving, you would see that you're not." She said. The words were kind, yet there was a hard edge to them. "You will _never _hear me professing my love for this life, but it does have its perks."

Kurt slowly blinked his eyes open and lifted his head up to stare at Lyssa from over his shoulder. Not dead? How could he be anything else? He has been shot three times; generally that tends to kill a person! Lyssa's fingers still lingered on his cheek as he remained unmoving. He soon added another word to his rapidly growing list.

_Impatience_

Very carefully, Kurt rolled his shoulders back and moved so he was lying on his stomach instead of his side. He gently started to lift himself off the floor, ready for any sort of pain. When he was fully on his feet, Kurt shook himself off out of sheer instinct. He stopped halfway through, realizing what he was doing.

Not only did he _sound _like a dog and _look _like a dog, now he was acting like one too?

Kurt was still waiting for the pain to come; he knew it would. But when it didn't, Kurt was stunned. How was that possible? He looked at the small puddle of his blood sinking into the soil and then back to Lyssa with confused eyes. She tried to smile kindly, but the malice never completely left her eyes.

"Like I said," she started, pulling herself into a more comfortable sitting position, "perks."

Annoyance was rapidly building in Kurt. He could feel his expression hardening and although he had no idea what his face looked like right now, he hoped it was conveying the emotions he felt. He was tired of the mind games; Kurt wanted answers and he wasn't going to give up until he received them.

Lyssa seemed to get the message. She rolled her blue eyes and leaned back, looking way too casual for the current setting. She smirked at Kurt, her chin raised. Her eyes were teasing and taunting him at the same time. It set off a flurry of alarms in Kurt's mind. Her smile widened.

"Tell me Kurt, how familiar are you with the term 'werewolf?'"

Kurt froze. Even his heart seemed to stop.

_Werewolf?_

She had to be kidding. Either that or this was someone's very sick idea of a joke. But Kurt could find no trace of a lie in Lyssa's eyes and as proven over and over again, this was apparently not a joke.

Kurt broke out of his little trance a let out a bark of laughter.

Literally.

Shaking his head quickly, Kurt backed up a few steps, stopping when he felt himself hit a tree. So this wasn't a dream and it wasn't a prank, which left only one logical option.

Kurt was crazy. Being lost in the forest, lack of food or water and being attacked multiple times has apparently put him through quite the number. Now his subconscious is taking its revenge.

_Werewolf_

Kurt chuckled again.

Shaking his head once more, Kurt looked up from the ground only to do a double take when Lyssa was nowhere in sight. She was still around; Kurt could hear her heartbeat somewhere to his left, but when he turned to look for her, something large and heavy slammed into him.

Kurt yelped loudly and thrashed wildly as he tried to get away from whatever was pinning him to the ground. He managed to turn so he was lying on his side and could get a look at his attacker.

The same black wolf from before was standing over top of him, using one paw to hold him to the ground. Its wild blue eyes bore into Kurt, completely terrifying him.

Before Kurt could try to fight his way free, he felt the wolf's paw shudder against his shoulder, and suddenly, it was no longer a paw holding him to the earth; it was a hand. He looked from the hand, up the arm and finally up at Lyssa's face. One eyebrow was arched and a smug smile was firmly in place.

"Still don't believe me?"

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_Review? _


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

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Kurt was frozen for little over a second before he started thrashing wildly; doing everything he could to get away from Lyssa and this harsh… _reality _of his situation. He tried to yell at her to get away, but all that came out was vicious snarling.

_This can't be happening._

Lyssa wouldn't allow him to get up; she kept his body firmly pinned against the forest floor, a smirk stuck on her smug face.

"Calm down, I want to help,"

_Help? _Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was the reason he was in this mess in the first place! He swung his arm around tried to inflict as much damage as possible but Lyssa ducked, laughing as she did.

That laugh made Kurt see stars. He doubled his efforts, bringing his legs up underneath her and kicking her in the chest. That wiped the smile off. She put a little more room between Kurt and herself, the smirk turning into an exposure of teeth. Kurt whipped his arm forward again and his claws dug into Lyssa's face, tearing the flesh.

She screamed and rolled off of Kurt, blood pouring from between her fingers. Kurt didn't wait for her to recover. He ran off without a second look, tearing through the trees at an incredible speed he didn't know he was capable of. Kurt should have heard her coming with his new _super _hearing but he was too focused on his fear to take in his surroundings. One second there is just trees and the next, Lyssa is jumping in his path, her face covered in angry pink lines and soaked in blood. Kurt yelped and backed away as she started taking slow steps towards him.

"Despite the fact you attacked me, I'm not going to hurt you."

A hushed growl slipped from between Kurt's clenched teeth as he scrambled away.

Yes Kurt was fast, but Lyssa was faster.

She leaped over Kurt, landing in his escape route again, forcing him to a stop.

"If you stop trying to run away I'll show you how to get back on two feet."

Kurt's eyes darted around to everywhere except Lyssa's face as he tried to find an exit. He knew he was doomed; Lyssa had caught up to him ever since their first meeting… _how many days ago?_

Finally Kurt raised his eyes up to meet bright blue ones, wincing as he saw her crimson streaked face. She probably deserved it, but Kurt couldn't help but feel really bad about ripping her face open. He has never been a particularly violent person, but now he was alone, scared, and just plain freaked out.

But as Kurt studied Lyssa's face, he felt a massive jolt of shock when he could find no evidence of even a scratch anywhere.

He felt his… _claws_ snag on the skin of her face; he saw the blood! Now the blood was staining her face with no source for it to be there. Lyssa was either oblivious to Kurt's horrific realization or she choose not to care, starting her lesson on 'changing back.'

"You need to relax," she demanded. Kurt's heart only sped. _Relax_? How the hell was he supposed to relax? _This _internal struggle Lyssa chose to notice.

"I know you have a lot of questions but if you don't do what I say you're going to be stuck with four legs and no voice for the rest of your life."

Sighing in defeat, Kurt closed his eyes and tried to slow his heart rate. He knew Lyssa could hear it. It took a few minutes, but Kurt was finally able to slow his heart and his breathing down to a regular pace. He warily opened his eyes to see Lyssa with that godforsaken smirk plastered on her bloodstained lips.

"Good boy," she praised, like he was a common house pet. Kurt had to swallow back bile. "Now, focus on being _human._ Just walk forward and push off the ground, thinking of taking a step rather than a stride." Lyssa's smirk turned into more of a wondrous, thoughtful smile, "you could feel the energy explode inside you when you made the first transformation; now you need to harness that energy. You need to control it, not the other way around."

Kurt closed his eyes again, trying to ignore Lyssa's presence. Harness the energy. Geez, this sounded like a _Star Trek_ rerun. Suddenly Kurt wasn't in the forest, possibly fighting for his life, he was at Mercedes' house, being roped into a space movie marathon because of Artie. He would stand his ground with 'Cedes, because there was no way he was going to watch pointy eared men travel through space and fight aliens. So he may have overlooked his closeted addiction to Star Wars, but regardless; he would have fun verbally sparring with his friends and inhaling twizzlers while he corn rowed Mercedes hair.

But now the realization that this was truly happening drained away all possibilities of something like that ever happening.

_Werewolf_

Kurt couldn't face his friends ever again.

"Well?"

Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, Kurt swallowed down his angst and focused on _harnessing the energy. _ He did what she said, calming himself down and taking baby steps forward. After two strides, Kurt bent his arms and pushed up off the ground. His head whirled a little but otherwise, he felt fine. Slowly opening his clenched eyes, Kurt looked down.

Arms, hands, torso, legs, feet.

Kurt let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he lifted his hands and studied them.

"On a first try too," Lyssa said, causing Kurt's head to snap up and look at her. She was staring at him with an unidentifiable glint in her eyes. "You're something special."

Kurt's eyes slid to the ground and he studied his shoes. Frowning, Kurt noticed that he was still fully clothed. Only a close few knew about Kurt's horror movie fascination, but in almost every werewolf movie, the clothes were absolutely shredded. In some movies they lost their clothes altogether. Kurt was glad he was still dressed, but he didn't understand.

"No questions?"

Head snapping up, Kurt stared incredulously at Lyssa. Now she was joking with him? She rolled her eyes and guided Kurt over to a tree, gently pushing him down so he was sitting with his back pressed against the rough bark. Folding herself down beside him, Lyssa waited.

Kurt was quiet for a few seconds while he found his voice. He met Lyssa's eyes again, staring right into her bright blue irises.

"What… _the hell _is happening?"

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Mercedes sank down deeper into the couch, trying to ignore the sound of gunshots on the screen.

Artie sat on the other end of the couch, remote in one hand while he grabbed handfuls of popcorn with the other. An old episode of _Star Trek_ was playing on the TV in front of them and Artie was completely engrossed in the program. Mercedes was so grateful for his company, she would much rather not be left alone with her thoughts, but lately all she really wanted was to splurge into a weekend of shopping, facials, and a _What Not To Wear _marathon.

Problem: She didn't want to do it alone.

Mercedes stifled a yawn and rested her head against the back of the couch. She could try and have a little nap; maybe with Artie here the nightmares would stay away. Sleep has been a bit of a touchy subject for Mercedes as of late, no sleep meant no nightmares. But no sleep also meant a whole bunch of other crap too. She closed her eyes, not really aiming for unconsciousness, more like rest.

Soon Mercedes was drifting; not out enough for sleep, but enough that she didn't have any will to open her eyes.

She wasn't keeping track of time; the only indicator was the TV set. So she has no idea how long it's been when three soft knocks echo through the house.

Mercedes hears the floorboards creek as her Mama goes to answer the door. Muted hellos are exchanged and soon the couch is sinking as someone sits down beside her.

"Hey," A quiet voice greets Artie. It was Tina.

"Hey, Tee."

"How's she doing?"

A pause, "I'm not sure, she doesn't exactly talk."

"Oh."

It's quiet for a few moments before Artie either hits mute or turns off the TV; Mercedes isn't sure.

"Did you find anything new?" he asks in a quiet voice.

"No. The only thing that proves he's actually out there is the scarf Rachel found."

"Hmm. Well it's only been six days."

"I guess."

An uneasy silence falls over the two of them again and Mercedes starts to drift even deeper before Artie switches on the volume again and starts flicking through the channels. Little snippets of commercials and reality shows float to Mercedes ears, but before she can identify any of the programs, Artie changes the station. He pauses on one channel and Mercedes is able to hear more than one word.

"_Please, Sir, an animagus is a wizard who elects to turn into an animal. A werewolf has no choice."_

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Tina said with slight amusement.

Artie chuckled a little, "Kurt would have liked this," Mercedes can hear him digging into the popcorn bowl again.

Tears prick in Mercedes' eyes as she listens to Kurt's favourite movie, wishing he was sitting next to her.

"_Are you incapable of restraining yourself or do you take pride in being an insufferable know it all?"_

"Sounds like Rachel," Tina muttered, earning a laugh from Artie and the tiniest of smiles from Mercedes.

Kurt would laughed at that.

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	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

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Kurt paced back and forth through the trees, trying to find his voice and say the questions spinning in his mind. Lyssa just stayed seated on the forest floor, her bright eyes following his every move. He didn't know where to start; so many questions were buzzing around in his head, all of them begging for an answer. Kurt stopped pacing and rubbed his temple as if he could calm the swarm of questions.

"Okay," Kurt started, closing his eyes and taking a much needed calming breath. A breath he shouldn't be able to take because he should be lying in a puddle of his own blood somewhere. Kurt huffed as he opened his eyes and stared at the tops of the trees. All of this was so confusing, and so frustrating. This whole situation was bringing out quite the violent streak in Kurt; he really just wanted to punch something.

"Take your time," Lyssa offered helpfully, sensing Kurt's struggle. Her lips parted into a smile that had Kurt's stomach churning, "I'm quite patient."

Ignoring the uneasy feeling, Kurt fell to the ground and rested his back against a tree. His head was still pounding, not helping anything. All he wanted was some Tylenol, or one of Mercedes' hugs.

Those always made everything better. Even situations like these.

"How am I still… _alive?_" Kurt asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He kept his eyes on his blood and dirt stained pants, waiting for Lyssa's answer. Kurt didn't realize he was holding his breath until she spoke.

"It wasn't a silver bullet," She stated simply, "Nothing can harm you except pure silver or a bite from another wolf."

Despite his perfectly rational fear of Lyssa, Kurt's head snapped up to stare at her. "But-"

"Look," Lyssa sighed, sitting up straighter and fixing Kurt with a patronizing glare, "If you get wounded by a regular blade, you'll heal in seconds, no scars, nothing." She looked up from beneath her eyelashes, eyebrows raised, "If you're shot with a regular bullet, you'll pass out for a minute or so, and then it'll be like nothing happened." Smiling a twisted smile, Lyssa cocked her head, "But you already know about that part."

Kurt grimaced, but didn't take his eyes off Lyssa.

"If _anything _made of pure silver touches your skin, it's an instant burn." She said, her eyes drifting down to her arm, "Trust me, it hurts. _And,_" Lyssa stopped and held up her left arm, "It leaves one hell of a scar."

Kurt's eyes widened as he took in the long pale line reaching from the corner of Lyssa's wrist all the way down to her elbow.

"Now if you had been shot with a _silver _bullet," She laughed as she put down her arm, breaking Kurt's stare, "You _would _be dead."

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Rachel walked into her bedroom and threw her running shoes down by her closet. Another day of searching and still they found nothing. As she took off her jacket, Rachel sighed, plopping herself down on her bed and looking at the clock on her bedside table. 5:44 PM. Dinner would be ready soon.

"Your dads are making snacks if you want them," Finn announced as he walked in the door. He had a handful of grapes in one hand and crackers in the other. After he shoved two more crackers in his mouth, Finn sauntered over to sit beside Rachel on the bed. Rachel stared at her beige carpet, polity shaking her head and declining the fistful of food Finn was offering her.

"Don't worry," Finn said in between bites, "I know everyone is down and everything, but we're going to find him."

Rachel just nodded. Everyone was so optimistic; it crushed Rachel that she seemed to be the only pessimistic one in the group. Of course she wanted to find Kurt, there was no doubt about _that _aspect of this ordeal, but it has been six days, if they didn't find him by now, they would probably never find him.

"I mean, we _have _to find him!"

Another nod.

With her hands twisting in her lap, Rachel cautiously turned her head to look at her boyfriend. "Can I ask you something?" she asked quietly, watching as Finn's head turned, his left cheek popped out from the grapes he'd stuffed in his mouth, "It's just something that's been on my mind lately."

Finn's head tilted to the side as he nodded, unable to say anything due the amount of food in his mouth.

"Why do you think I don't care very much for Kurt?"

The question brought Finn up short. He froze before swallowing his cheek full of food. "Well, you know, you guys are always fighting and stuff. And I'm not the only one who thinks that." Finn added as an afterthought. Rachel watched as he brought another grape up to his lips, "Actually, a lot of us were surprised to see you there; we all thought you'd be happy."

Rachel could only stare at Finn. She was absolutely astounded with a borderline of painful shock and disgust. How could her teammates think so little of her?

"Are you telling me that the _whole _Glee club thinks I'm _happy_ Kurt's missing?"

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"But then why don't you have…" Kurt didn't know how to finish his sentence; so instead he lifted his arm and made a clawing motion across his face. _I did that, _Kurt thought, _why don't you have the scars that _I _gave you? _

Lyssa only rolled her eyes- she was worse than Mercedes. "Only wolves' teethleave scars, Kurt, claws do nothing. And I'm going to get you back for that." She added with a wink. Kurt swallowed, and tried _really hard _not to think too much into that.

As he tried to organize the thoughts in his head, Kurt opened his ears and listened to the sounds of the forest around him. Faintly off in the distance people were still calling his name, and if Kurt listened hard enough, he could almost hear his father's husky voice mingling with the others…

"Oh and don't go around biting random citizens," Lyssa unknowingly interrupted, "Because, as you should already know, that's how new little cubs are born." She smiled sickly, "little cubs just like you."

Kurt couldn't take it. He stood and rubbed his eyes. Hunger gnawed at his stomach as his head spun from too much information being sprung onto his much abused brain. Collecting his wits enough to walk, Kurt sauntered over to the river to meet his new reflection; green eyes that were entirely too bright stared back at him. He already missed the pale green eyes that he'd inherited from both his mom and dad…

_His mom. _

"You said you knew my mom?"

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Finn sputtered for a few seconds at a complete loss for words. Usually Rachel loved it when Finn tried to gather his thoughts; it showed that he was trying. But right now she was too horrified to care.

"No! That's not… That's not what I meant!"

"Well then _what _did you mean, Finn?"

"Oh," Finn groaned as his arms flailed, "Why is this so hard to put into words?"

Rachel just stood there with her arms crossed. Dozens of ideas on how to show her so-called teammates just how much she cared about their countertenor were already buzzing in her head. Including schemes like dressing in a way Kurt would approve of, or fundraisers to gain assistance in their search for him- led singlehandedly by her, of course. Or even, heaven forbid, refusing any and _all _solos until Kurt was found.

Yes, that one- no matter how painful- would have the best impact. Rachel Berry _never _refused solos unless she was trying to make a point.

"I just meant that… Kurt's always trying to take your solos and stuff, and we thought that you kind of hated him for that because music is your life and-"

"Finn, stop. You've made yourself clear, and now I would appreciate it if you left." Rachel stated simply while making her way over to her bedroom door and holding it open. She didn't care for anyone's reasoning on the matter. She already had a plan.

"Are you… You're not mad at me, are you?" Finn asked timidly, before rushing his next words out in a single breath, "Because _I_ know that you don't hate Kurt and you want to find him and-"

"Finn, I'm not mad."

"Are you sure? Cause you sound mad."

"I'm not." Rachel said impatiently. She lifted her chin in the air and motioned towards the door, "I just need time to collect my thoughts. Goodbye Finn."

Finn smiled that adorable smile of his and nodded, "Cool, I'll, uh, see you tomorrow." He said before walking out the door. Rachel closed it behind him before walking over to her bed.

Did she really give off that sort of energy? That she _hated _Kurt?

Well that was going to change, first thing tomorrow morning.

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Kurt felt a presence behind him, but he didn't turn. "Yes," Lyssa whispered, "Your mother and I were quite close before _it _happened."

Automatically assuming that she meant his mother's death, Kurt moved on to the next train of thought. "Was she one of…" he couldn't bring himself to include himself in the sentence.

"Us?" Lyssa finished for him- Kurt could almost hear her smirk. "No, but she was killed by one."

Kurt's eyes closed; he didn't want to hear that his mom was killed by a creature from a race that he was now a part of. "I tried to stop it, but I got there too late. She knew what I was and made me promise to protect you." A hand was suddenly gripping Kurt's shoulder a little too tightly to be comforting. "And what better way to protect you than teaching you how to do it yourself?"

Kurt swallowed heavily and ran a hand through his unkempt, dirty, knotted, _disgusting _hair. Barely a sound escaped when he opened his mouth, but Kurt forced the words out. There was an idea that was only starting to nest in his mind- Kurt had a sudden fire in him- a violent fire that could only be extinguished one way.

"Do you know who did it?" He asked in a whisper, hoping and praying to imaginary gods for a name.

"No."

With his heart sinking, Kurt removed his hand from his hair. He wouldn't give up though; the idea was turning into a need, the fire consuming him completely, burning his every thought and replacing it with malice.

"I need you to teach me how to fight." Kurt stated, the fire pumping him up, giving him more power behind his words. He had a cause now, something to work towards- something to put this new life to good use.

"Alright," Lyssa drawled, not quite sure where Kurt was heading with this, "But what's got you in such a hurry?"

_Justice _was Kurt's only answering thought before he turned around to meet Lyssa. "I'm going to hunt down the _bastard _who killed my mom and make them suffer for taking her away from me." Kurt paused and briefly looked at the ground before returning to meet Lyssa's insanely bright eyes, "For taking her away from both of us."

Lyssa's manic smile only caused the fire to spread.

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A/N: MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS.

Thank you so much for waiting. Seriously, between getting a tumblr and receiving butt loads of school work, I had zero time to work on this.

BUT NOW IT'S WINTER BREAK.

And now **please **read this as it's REALLY important to the story:

When I first started writing this story, the only plot line I had was in my head and boy was it fickle. Things changed every few days and whatever the current plot was in my mind went down on paper (or in Microsoft Word.) In my absence from FF I've sorted everything out and actually written down a timeline and a character analysis for each character.

**PLEASE NOTE: **

**Some aspects in the story from previous chapters will never be brought up again.** They were written on a whim and I apologize deeply for my lack of organization. I actually thought no one would read this, but hey, you guys all rock.

Oh, and no worries about me abandoning this- I already have the sequel planned out ;)

BUT MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

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The next morning found Rachel staring at her reflection in the mirror, going over every detail of her outfit to make sure it was perfect. Her hair hung pin straight and Rachel made sure that her bangs had a little flip at the end, just for a little extra Hummel-flare. The thoroughly abused_ Vogue_ magazines still remained on floor where they were thrown after Rachel finished piecing together the perfect outfit for her rebellion against her teammates. She hoped the outfit was good enough; she had to dig through her own wardrobe to find everything. And apparently her wardrobe wasn't very _Vogue-chic. _

Rachel fixed her lipstick one more time before flipping off the lights and skipping downstairs.

Her Pop whistled as she entered the kitchen, "What's got you all dolled up?"

"My teammates seem to think that I'm _happy _Kurt Hummel is missing." She stated, "So I'm staging a rebellion; starting with a wardrobe he would approve of."

Pop's smile faltered a bit, but he stood up and kissed her forehead, "Whatever works, Sweetheart." He said as he flattened down a piece of her hair and grabbed his keys off the table. "Ready to go?"

Rachel squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. "Yes, let's go."

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Kurt landed on the forest floor with a groan. He rolled onto his back and winced as he felt his cracked ribs heal.

"You're too nice, Kurt." Lyssa's voice sounded from somewhere above him. "You need to get mean."

"_You _need to get mean."Kurt growled under his breath as he sat up- only to be knocked down again by Lyssa. She stood and planted a foot on his chest.

"I'm plenty mean. Now get up."

Kurt struggled to do as he was told, but Lyssa's foot stayed firmly on his chest. He stopped moving and fell back, staring at her. She quirked an eyebrow at him- _challenging _him to get to his feet.

Kurt's hand flew up and wrapped itself around Lyssa's ankle. He twisted and rolled out from underneath her. Then he stood in one fluid motion and pushed Lyssa up against the tree beside him, her leg bent at an awkward angle between them.

"Nice," she commented. "But watch out."

"What?"

Before Kurt could move, Lyssa grabbed a tree branch and lifted herself off the ground, using her free leg to kick Kurt in the gut, sending him stumbling backwards.

"Always be on your guard," Lyssa instructed as she sauntered over to him, "It's not over till the heart stops."

She offered him a hand, but he refused it, standing up on his own. Lyssa nodded in approval. "You can be taught after all." She laughed a little before she took a fighting stance. "Attack me again." She commanded.

Kurt bent his knees and lunged, but his hand only caught air before Lyssa's wrapped around his wrist and spun him around, her free hand immediately going to his throat. His arm was pinned uncomfortably behind his back, pressed between their bodies.

"You're not listening to me, Kurt." She growled in his ear, "Keep low, and _always_ protect your throat." She punctuated her statement by gripping his tighter, cutting off his air supply for two seconds before she released him.

Kurt stood there catching his breath, his back still to Lyssa. The fighting was difficult, though Kurt began to notice quite a bit of it was instinctual. However there was also _a lot_ of technique involved as well.

"You need to learn to fight. Otherwise you'll just be killed and I'll have wasted all this time on you for nothing."

Kurt snarled under his breath.

"You can growl all you want," Lyssa spat as she grabbed his arm and spun him around, "but unless you learn you'll be useless."

Kurt ducked as Lyssa clawed at him, narrowly missing his face. He would lunge, she would sidestep; he would kick, she would dodge; he would do everything he could to attack, but she was always a step ahead. After a few minutes of this, Kurt stopped. He was exhausted, sore, and out of breath; they'd been at this for _hours. _Behind him, Lyssa straightened, hardly a change in her breathing. Kurt doubted she'd even broken a sweat whereas he was absolutely _disgusting. _He desperately needed a shower, along with his bed, and his dad, and his home, and his friends…

"You're weak."

Kurt opened his eyes as Lyssa's harsh voice broke him out of his thoughts. "You want to know how your mother died?" She asked; Kurt could hear leaves crackling under her feet as she shifted her weight. "She lied down and let herself be killed. I got there too late; by the time I arrived the wolf was tearing her throat out. She just let it happen."

Kurt's arms began to shake as Lyssa continued on. He could hear her coming closer, and soon he could feel warm breath on the back of neck. "God, you're just like her," Lyssa snarled in his ear, "you look like her, you act like her, you even _sound _like her. And just like her, you're going to get yourself-"

Kurt snapped.

He snarled wildly and spun around, grabbing Lyssa by the throat. Then Kurt's temper took control of the situation and he didn't even know what happened next. There was a blur of movement, and then Lyssa was on her back with Kurt pinning her to the forest floor, his hands positioned perfectly to break her neck.

As his head cleared Kurt sat up, removing his hands from Lyssa's throat. He scampered off of her, kneeling to the side and trying to calm his manic breathing. Lyssa sat up on her elbows and stared at him with an unidentifiable glint in her eyes. A sick smile spread across her face like a stain.

"Good boy."

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Rachel savoured all the looks as she walked down the hallway. Boys were openly gaping at her and she'd even received thumbs up from Brittany while Santana just kind of glared. She gently pushed her bangs off her face - the same way she's seen Kurt do so many times – and kept walking, ignoring the uncomfortable tightness of the jeans she'd found in the back of her closet.

"Rachel! Rachel!"

She stopped and smiled as she heard Jacob Israel running to catch up with her. Turning, Rachel flashed him and his chubby camera man a smile as they ran to catch up with her. "Rachel!" Jacob panted when he caught up. He collected himself and shoved a microphone under her nose. "You're dressing rather differently! _Any comment?" _

"No." Rachel said using her camera voice. It's always best to keep the paparazzi in suspense. "I have no comment." She turned to leave, but Jacob's nasally voice stopped her.

"Then perhaps a comment on why you're suddenly supporting Kurt Hummel in his mysterious absence when you two aren't even friends? McKinley viewers want to know: genuine concern? Or is this just a publicity stunt? Your response?"

Rachel stopped. She was suddenly resisting the urge to cry; without turning around, she muttered a single "_No comment," _and left, ignoring Jacob's yells.

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**Uhm… Happy Halloween?**


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